Improvement in bungs of casks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHX KEANE, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR-IO IHMSELFl AND ANDREW MCLEANVOOD, OF SAME FLACE.`

IMPROVEMENT IN Specification forming part of Letters Iatent No. 25,606,dated Scptcmbcr, 1&59.

.To (all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN KEANE, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, Vhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Bungs and Spigotsfor Casks containing Beer, Cider, and other Liquors; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and

vv NWexact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure lis a vertical central section of a bung for a lager-beer caskwith my invention applied. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.Fig. 8 is a vertical sect-ion on a larger scale than Figs. l and 2 ofthe portion ofthe bung containing the valve. Fig. 4 illustrates theapplication of the invention to a spigot.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalgures.

)Iy invention consists in providing a bung or spigot with a reservoir tocont-ain proof spirit, or other spirituous liquor, and with a suitablesystem ot' pipes or passages to cause all the air admitted to the caskto pass through the spirit or spirituous liquor in the reservoir, forthe purpose of being impregnated with alcoholic vapor, which in a greatdegree counteracts its injurious action upon the liquid in the Cask, andso enables the said liquid to be kept on draft for a longer time in goodcondition.

It also consists in a certain 'arrangement of a valve, in combinationwith the aforesaid reservoir, applied to a bung orv spigot for thepurpose not only of admitting air to take the place of the liquid drawnoft', but of preventing the escape of gases from the cask.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to dcscribe its construction and operation.

In applying my invention to a bung I construct the reservoir within thebung itself by making the same of metal, and hollow, the

i" space within it constituting the reservoir, and

as a matter of convenience, Imake the bung in two pieces-fviz., a hollowshell, A, formed to iit the bung-hole, and with a large head whichenables it to be laid hold of by the hand, to place it in and remove itfrom the bung-hole of thev casl; C, and a concave cover,

B, which screws into the upper or outer end of the said shell.

ais the inlet-pipe, screwed into the head B, and opening into thereservoir nea-r the bottom thereof; 'and b is the outlet-pipe forpermitting the escape of air from the bung into the eask, said pipescrewing into the bottom of the bung and Aextending upward nearly to thetop thereof. The reservoir is illed with pure spirit, or any spirituousliquor, nearly to the mouth ofthe pipe b. By this arrangement of theinlet and outlet pipes of the reservoir all the air admitted to the caskC, to ll the vacuum produced by drawing oft the liquid from the Cask, iscaused-to pass, as indicated by arrows in Fig. l, through the spirit inthe reservoir, and so caused to take up in suspension in it some of thespirit, which, by its preservative effect, is caused in a great degreeto counteract or neutralize the action of the air upon the liquid in thecask.

- voir and preventing the escape of gases therefrom, made ofindia-rubber or other iiexible material, and ttcd over an opening, e, ina box, d, which is attached to the upper and outer end of the inlet-pipea, outside of the reservoir.

f is a cap screwing into the box d to secure the valve in its place, andserving by its removal to permit the introduction and removal of thevalve. inlet-pipe a has to pass through the opening e and valve @,thelatter being opened inwardly to the box d, as shown in Fig. l, by thepressof air to the pipe a, when a vacuum is produced in the cask bydrawing off the liquid, but is closed by its own elasticity, as shownlished between the air or gases in the cask and the external atmosphere,and so prevents the escape of carbonio acid from the tank.

In applying the invention to a spigot a reservoir of suit-able shape,with a similar system of pipes, valve-box, and valve to those of thebung, is constructed, and the pipe b is extended below the bottom of thereservoir, as shownat b in Fig. 4, to constitute the spigot, which isscrewed into or otherwise tightly inserted in the vent-hole of the cask.

c is the valve for admitting air to the reserp n ll the air admitted tothe ure of the atmosphere, to permit the entrance in Fig. 3, so soon asan equilibrium is estab- .Ip V

system of pipes and passages, or their equivalents, :t Valve, c,appleclto the bung or spigot, substantially as and for the specified.

I JOHN KEANE.

Vitiiesses:

OHAs. M. HUGHES, MICH. HUGHES.

purpose herein

